Show versatility in both defense and attack to surpass the opponent and achieve victory!

Cloudy sky, the temperature hasn't risen but it's a high humidity match at Shimizu IAI.S for Sec. 9, facing Shimizu S-Pulse.
This week, as Mori Shige's suspension is lifted, injured players are also returning one after another, and Ota, Kajiyama, and Higashi have joined the practice. Coach Massimo said cautiously, "We need to assess the condition of each returning player," but explained that Ota's condition is "improving" and he will make a starting lineup return for the first time in four games since the Sendai match on July 29.

In addition, Hirayama, who has been away from the front line for a long time since his injury in August last season, said, "I have endured difficult times for about 11 months, but I have been patient. My condition is very good now." He has made the lineup for the first time since August 23 last year (Sec. 21) and will be on the bench. Ota will play as a left fullback, and Tokunaga will play as a right side. The midfield and forward line will face the same lineup as the previous match.

Shimizu's 2nd stage is currently in 15th place with 6 points. Their overall ranking is 17th, but Kazuaki TASAKA, the head coach, took over in August after serving as a head coach for about a month. At the same time, FW Zheng and DF Kakuta joined before the 2nd stage, aiming to turn things around. In the three games in August, they have yet to win with 1 draw and 2 losses, but all games have been decided by a one-point difference. Their defense has improved, and they have been able to keep the game close without collapsing.

The team should be able to demonstrate a high attacking power if the gears as a team fit together, including the newly joined players. The opponent has FW Omae on the bench. The DF line has also been slightly changed from the previous match, with DF Ryohei and Kalfin Yong-Apin as full-backs. MF Honda and Edamura form the midfield, with MF Shirasaki and Mitchell DUKE on both sides. FW Zheng and Peter UTAKA serve as the two top players in a 4-4-2 formation.

Tokyo aims to surpass Shimizu, who aggressively seeks victory at home, with solid defense and versatile attack.
The match started with Shimizu's kickoff at 18:04.

Both teams press each other and enter the second half with a scoreless draw

The match is in the 5th minute of the first half. The opponent's left MF Mitchell DUKE advances to a high position in the front line and crosses. It was headed by central FW Utaka, but the shot narrowly misses the post and goes out. The team escaped from a dangerous situation. In the following 9 minutes, Tokyo's left area player Burns boldly makes a move and earns a left corner kick. Ota takes the kick. Burns jumps in near the goal to meet this corner kick, but in the midst of intense competition, the ball goes outside the frame.

15 minutes have passed. Without missing the opponent's mistake, Burns counterattacks from a short distance and faces the goalkeeper one-on-one in the area. However, he is blocked just before shooting, and it seemed like he was fouled and fell down immediately after, but there was no foul from the opponent. In the 16th minute, Maeda takes the ball from the left area and unleashes a powerful mid-range shot. The curved shot threatens the opponent's goal, but it is saved by the goalkeeper.

19 minutes into the game. Burns runs up to the left front line and sends a low cross into the goal area. It didn't reach the center midfielder, Yonemoto, but Takahashi stretches his leg and desperately tries to control it. He takes a long-range shot, but it is blocked by the opponent and goes out for a right corner kick. The corner kick is cleared by the opponent, and Shizuoka's forward, Utaka, securely collects the ball, leading to a counterattack. However, the opponent's shot misses the target, saving Tokyo from conceding a goal. In the 33rd minute, Ota sends a cross from the left side towards the middle of the penalty area. The opponent's defender cuts it out with a sliding tackle, resulting in a left corner kick. The corner kick is cleared, but it goes back to Ota. He then crosses the ball almost parallel to the goal, and Burns attempts a header, but fails to hit the target.

35 minutes have passed, and Tokyo's time in possession in their own half is gradually increasing. However, they are struggling to create attacking opportunities against Shimizu's strong challenges. When they managed to win the ball in a high position, it became a chance, but there were also moments when they were pushed back by long balls to Shimizu's forwards Utaka and Jang. Both teams are pressing each other, resulting in a highly intense battle.

Against Shimizu's FW Peter UTAKA-led attack, Morishige, Maruyama, and others displayed strength and tenacity. On the other hand, they were able to win the ball in high positions and create chances, but they were unable to capitalize on them. The score remains 0-0 going into the second half.

Ota scores a goal from a free kick! The intense battle ends in a draw

Entering the second half at the 50th minute. Shimizu carries the ball to the left area and MF Mitchell DUKE makes a move. Although Morishige initially steals the ball, Shimizu puts pressure on again and the loose ball ends up with Shimizu FW Peter UTAKA, who jumps out between Tokunaga and Morishige. A decisive shot is taken from the left area, which GK Enomoto saves... but FW Zheng easily pushes in the rebound... and we concede the first goal.

After 53 minutes of the first goal, Tokyo, without feeling down, moves forward quickly and earns a corner kick from Kawano's left cross. Mori Shige's header from Ota's left cross hits the right post... Tokyo follows up on the loose ball, but Shimizu DF reacts first and it results in a right corner kick.

Substitute Nakajima for Kono in the 57th minute. Then, in the 60th minute, Hashimoto replaces Hanyu on the pitch. Hashimoto and Nakajima on the sides. And a double pivot of Takahashi and Yonemoto.

61 minutes, Shimizu quickly carries the ball to the front line and Duke MF, who went up the center, breaks free to the right and shoots. However, Enomoto saves it with one foot and it goes out for a corner kick. In the following 64th minute, Shimizu FW Utaka forcefully breaks free to the right area. The shot from there is slightly touched by Enomoto and goes out for a corner kick. From this corner kick, Shimizu is repeatedly pushed and faces a difficult situation, but they do not allow an additional goal. 65 minutes have passed. They conceded the first goal and have been pushed back since then, facing a tough situation. However, they have not lost focus until the end and have not allowed an additional goal. They wanted to take advantage of the opponent's intensity and find their weaknesses...

In the 67th minute, Hirayama replaced Burns and stepped onto the pitch for the first time in a year. The 70th minute arrived. Hirayama headed the ball down and Nakajima received it near the right area, but was fouled while attempting to make a move. A free kick was awarded. The free kick was taken from the right area, approximately 20 meters away from the goal. Morishige positioned himself as a decoy, and immediately after, Ota took a shot that was aimed at the goal, and it went in the upper right corner, GOAL!! A splendid free kick equalized the score! However, after that, Shizuoka's momentum and set plays pushed us back. Although we defended well in the final line, we couldn't create a counterattack opportunity in the front. We continued to play in our own half... In the 83rd minute, Hirayama tried to break through on the left front, but fell during a contest with the opponent... The decision was in favor of Shizuoka for the ball.

Using player substitutions, Tokyo brought Hirayama onto the pitch for the first time in a year. In the midst of that, Ota brilliantly converted the free kick Nakajima earned, equalizing the score!! Tokyo then effectively held off the opponent's attempts to take the lead, and although the end of the match turned into a back-and-forth of counterattacks, they were unable to capitalize on their chances. The intense match ended in a draw, and Tokyo could only secure 1 point in their second consecutive away game.

[Player Comments]
"Ota"
"I haven't been able to play in the team's matches for about a month, so I wanted to repay the inconvenience with results. It would have been best to win, but I consider the valuable 1 point away and want to continue fighting with all my might in the remaining 8 matches. As for the free kick, I practiced after training the day before yesterday and was able to kick it as I practiced at that time, so I think it was good."

"Hirayama"
I am grateful to the coach who gave me a chance and the people who supported me. I want to show my gratitude through my play and even though the remaining season is short, I want to show it through my results. It is a great honor to wear the number 9 of Tokyo, as it has been worn by good players in the past, so I want to do my best to live up to it.
(What are the instructions from the coach when you step onto the pitch?)
The instructions are to aim for the goal in order to earn 3 points and to not lose to the opponent's hard work. We played with the awareness of making sure the ball moves well, not just focusing on post-play."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a very intense game. Shimizu ran a lot and threw the ball into the front line, taking advantage of the strength of their forwards. In the first half, we had a few close scenes with Burns. If we had scored there, the flow of the game would have been completely different. We couldn't finish, and it became difficult. We conceded a goal from a counterattack after losing the ball, but the players remained calm and continued without becoming passive. They also responded well to the tactical changes. One was the technical Nakajima Shoya, and the other was the physical Hashimoto Kento, who were brought in to play as a two-top and found a shape that was easy for us to play in, allowing us to try until the very end. Today's point is only 1, but I think it's an important 1."
(Hirayama made a long-awaited comeback and was immediately used, what are your thoughts?)
"I think it was good. He has been suffering for over a year. I hope he can gradually improve his condition from here and play more games. The team has been lacking players with his characteristics. As we approach the end of the season, we will need physically strong players like him. It's an important comeback."

[Summary of Shimizu coach Kazuaki TASAKA's press conference]
"First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the supporters and sponsors. Once again, it is thanks to all of you that we are able to compete like this. It is unfortunate that we did not achieve the desired results, but we want to look ahead and prepare for the next match. After the game, various things will come up, but what we need to do is to face forward and keep winning. There is nothing else. Even if the performance was good today, it means nothing if we don't win. In that sense, there are both good aspects and areas where we still need to improve. We want to prepare from next week to secure 3 points."